To Thine Own Self Be True

This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Shakespeare (Hamlet)

Thanks to Chael for assistance in editing and proofing the story. This is wholly fictional with no reference intended to persons alive or dead.

Please do not distribute to other sites without permission of the author. Comments can be sent to firehosejoe@yahoo.com

From the previous chapter:

Zach's contagious enthusiasm had reminded Alejandro of the fun and energy of working with architects and builders in the planning stage. Watching a living space come to life, as it were -making the abstract become reality -- was a very exciting prospect. Perhaps he needed to do more of that. "Why not? If it gives me so much pleasure I need to look for opportunities like that," he thought as he listened to Zach begin his story.

Chapter 34

That Alejandro was multifaceted was obvious to Zach. It was one of the many things that attracted Zach to the man. Somehow he never presumed that Alejandro would have been involved in the `nuts and bolts' of building planning and design. With so many proverbial irons in the fire, did he also have time for the detail work needed in planning living and working spaces?

Zach laughed quietly. "Well, remember, you asked. As he began his litany of woes about the project and the accompanying story Zach wondered about Alejandro's sudden interest? Did the man doubt him? Had he somehow misled Alejandro so that he thought Zach was a clone of his Father. 'Not possible,' he thought to himself. "What was his motivation though? Oh well, it will come to light eventually," he guessed.

"This is something that came about from a discussion in our Parish Council months ago. Our priest told the Council that a petition had been filed with the city to demolish a block of housing adjacent to my church. He said the developers had promised to let the church use their parking lot for off-street parking in exchange for their support of the project.

"What the developers didn't know was that the dilapidated buildings were home to many in the parish. The neighborhood abuts communities that are going through some significant urban renewal. This was not currently considered prime land but was seen as a good opportunity if the price were right. The block was occupied primarily by low-rise apartments and a few single-family homes. The sticking point for the developers was the resistance of the homeowners to sell.

"Needless to say, after the announcement, the members of the Council were in an uproar. Finally the priest got people calmed down. Now understand, I got this all second-hand.

"I had gone home to have dinner with my parents. Mother's housekeeper, my former Nanny, Maria, caught me stealing a bite in the kitchen and, after she slapped my hand and gave me a kiss on the cheek, we sat at the table and she filled me in on the latest news. After probing her for all the information she could give I thanked her and freshened up for dinner."

Alejandro was enjoying the story and wanted more details. "Did you discuss this with your Father? Did he help?" Again he saw the brief flash of something cross Zach's face.

"No, I didn't mention it to Mother or Father. I called the priest the next day and asked to see him. You've got to understand a bit of history here. I've had limited involvement at the Cathedral, where Mother and Father attend primarily Christmas and Easter. Maria and Juan took me regularly to The Chapel of Our Lady, their home parish. I was an altar boy, an acolyte, a reader when I had some age on me -- it is my home parish too.

"The priest laid all the details out for me. The thought of so many of our parish losing their homes rocked me and challenged me. I knew somehow I had to step up to the plate. The galvanizing words came when Father Joe said, 'Ownership makes all the difference. These dilapidated apartments are not the result of misuse and neglect by the tenants. They've been a `cash cow' for the owners for years and now, evidently, they are ready to sell'."

Alejandro was fully invested in the story by this time. Dessert was served and coffee poured. Both were ignored. Alejandro had longed for something more tangible, something measurable to put his own stamp on the Algara Foundation's work. Could this work in Chicago? Without a close parish involvement, who would provide the cohesion -- the glue to keep all the players committed and working toward the same goal? There had to be a way to make this work. Alejandro smiled as he felt that familiar burn in his gut when faced with an attractive challenge.

"Obviously you came up with a plan or an idea. What did you do?" he asked with sincere enthusiasm.

"I'll give you the shorter version. Don't worry. It has all the pertinent details. Trust me; we don't want to be here this time tomorrow," Zach said with a smile crossing his face.

Zach outlined how he and his secretary had researched the information needed. He described the disrepair of most of the apartments he visited during his fact-finding. At times he thought the wrecking ball would have been the easiest solution to take care of the structural demands of the buildings.

"I came back to Father Joe dumbfounded by what I saw, asking him why the conditions had been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent," Zach said. "His reply was that the people had no power. Their requests had been ignored. Two brave souls had refused to pay rent and found their belongings on the street within a day.

"I asked him if the current tenants, given an opportunity, might be interested in buying their apartments -- kind of like condo ownership. He laughed. 'How?', he asked. `How could they pay for it? How could they pay for repairs?' His questions were numerous, focused and to the point. I let him continue, listening carefully.

"His litany of questions and challenges helped a plan begin to form in my mind," Zach said, reaching for his cup of coffee.

It was cold. Zach caught the eye of the waiter. Seconds later, fresh cups appeared and they both sipped the hot liquid.

Alejandro sat with rapt attention as Zach told of buying the blocks of apartments. Working together with some gifted tradespeople in the parish, Zach had set up a training program to provide construction help for tenants and also offer employment for the older teens that had dropped out of school.

Master plumbers, electricians, brick masons and carpenters were hired to become the mentors of the unskilled young men and women who wanted to learn and work. Zach confessed that the project became exponentially more expensive and time-consuming than he had imagined. Yet, he persevered.

"Father Joe was a daily presence. He counseled, encouraged, praised and chastised as the situation warranted. The population is primarily Hispanic and he carried with him a paternal presence that was seen as part of the seamless authority of the Church. The project is nearly seventy-five percent complete. The stories, the mini-miracles, the changed lives are too many to count.

"At times when I've been ready to throw up my hands in despair, Father Joe has reminded me of the part of the Liturgy we pray with each Mass where we are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. I guess that's what this is all about for me.

"I've had thrust on me the mantle of hero, deliverer, surrogate parent -- none of which I've sought. These people have become my family. We eat together, pray together and sing together." A tear slid down Zach's face. "We're family."

Alejandro let Zach have a moment to collect himself. After a deep sigh, Zach continued, "So you see now where my enthusiasm for rehabbing projects comes from. Had I known what would be involved, I'm pretty sure I would never have started it. Now I look back and ask how I could not have shared in what we did."

Picking up his coffee, Zach took a long drink. Both men picked at their desserts as the silence gathered around them. Alejandro had no idea how to break the silence or change the subject without cheapening the moment. Zach saved him.

Raising his hand, indicating they'd like a check, Zach watched the waiter approach empty-handed.

"The bill and gratuity have been taken care of, Sir. I trust everything was to your satisfaction." He waited with the hint of a smile, watching Zach's momentary confusion.

"Thank you; everything was delicious." Waiting for the waiter to leave he stared Alejandro down.

"Turnabout is fair play. Anyway I believe that's the correct saying. Am I right?" Alejandro said with a grin spreading wide across his face. "I want you to take me to see this project you've told me about. I'm fascinated. There are so many pockets in large metropolitan areas that could benefit from this idea."

"Well, let's go!" Zach suggested with enthusiasm. They were soon in the car, Zach filling in details as Alejandro asked an endless stream of questions.